Members of the Muskegon Heights school board knew their district was in trouble, but their questions about the scope of its financial problems went unanswered.

The entire Board of Education addressed the emergency manager review team on Wednesday, when the group met for a second time to deliberate whether Muskegon Heights schools need a state-appointed emergency manager to run the district. Latest figures show the district has an $8.4 million budget deficit.

Board trustee Trinell Scott said she asked for data about the district's history of enrollment decline shortly after she was appointed to the board in December 2009. Those numbers were provided, she said, but district officials failed to act on them.

“If we knew student numbers were declining at that time, why didn’t we take the necessary steps like laying off teachers and reconfiguring buildings?" she said. "Those questions went unanswered.”

Trustees Kassandra Kitchen and Nathaniel Johnson said they also saw problems shortly after they joined the board, with Johnson saying he saw the "handwriting on the wall" after the district began to close buildings. Kitchen said she could never get answers about some people who were on the payroll, but whose jobs were unclear.

Scott blamed the district's problems on former Superintendent Dana Bryant. She told the board the financial problems stemmed from the cost of covering retiree health insurance and pensions. She said, with applause from the audience, that administrators had failed to take salary and benefit concessions.

“Last spring our teachers took concessions,” she said. “At the same time, our administrators got a raise."

Johnson said the administrators may have been too caring and let their reluctance to put staff out of work sway their judgment.

"Muskegon Heights is one of the largest employers of minorities in the county," he said. “I think (Bryant) was trying to the best of his ability to make sure people were employed."

The board was split over whether an emergency manager would be necessary, with Johnson and Scott saying the board could work out the issues on its own.

Poor leadership caused the problem, Scott said, and the team from Muskegon Area Intermediate School District has started Muskegon Heights down the right path, though the teachers' union and administrators have yet to reach an agreement on concessions.

"Believe it or not, our teachers are working with us," she said. "If we have to have an EFM, then so be it. My greatest concern is that they this district stays open and stays in the business of educating students."

Kitchen said she thinks an emergency manager is the only solution to the district's financial problems.

“Without the assistance, I believe we may be closing our doors, unfortunately,” she said. “We’re too deep to dig ourselves out.”

Muskegon Heights Interim Superintendent Dave SipkaMuskegon Heights Interim Superintendent Dave Sipka talks during an interview Wednesday, March 7, 2012 by the committee looking into whether the school district should be overseen by an emergency manager.